| Author: | Betsy Streeter | ISBN: | 9781310870484 |
| Publisher: | Betsy Streeter | Publication: | March 31, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
| Author: | Betsy Streeter |
| ISBN: | 9781310870484 |
| Publisher: | Betsy Streeter |
| Publication: | March 31, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
| Language: | English |
When the crew of the airship Tumbleweed found nine-year-old May living by herself in the Neptune Badlands, they could not in good conscience leave her out there - even though she seemed to have been doing pretty well fending for herself. Left alone since the age of five, May had been subsisting on the supplies in her family's underground bunker. When she got old enough, she began working from her parents' robotics books and built herself a companion, Dog, capable of zapping would-be aggressors. She also began trading her considerable mechanical skills for supplies and protection. Rebecca Mangrove, captain of the Tumbleweed, gained May's confidence and the crew took her aboard.
Not long after that the crew discovered the head of Philo, a telly left in a cave outside of Scar City (actually Philo had hijacked a van but that's complicated). Philo had quit his job at the Scar City casino and had shed his body to help him escape the Casino's overbearing security. May rebuilt Philo's body for him from specs stored in his own head. It turned out Philo was seven feet tall, and given to wearing sharp suits with narrow ties.
May struggled with her loneliness. And after a while, doubts arose as to whether May had really been orphaned on Neptune at all. She believed that she was left alone in the last Calamity. But evidence mounted that she might have family still living, most notably her brother. The underground bunker had been altered to erase any sign of May's parents' identities, though the contents were left intact. May discovered notes and photographs among her books that pointed to bits and pieces of her family history.
Now, Philo and May have left the Tumbleweed for Scar City, to begin a search for May's relatives - if there are any. She remembers her brother, several years older than her, in a heavy wheelchair - how hard could he be to find? Right?
When the crew of the airship Tumbleweed found nine-year-old May living by herself in the Neptune Badlands, they could not in good conscience leave her out there - even though she seemed to have been doing pretty well fending for herself. Left alone since the age of five, May had been subsisting on the supplies in her family's underground bunker. When she got old enough, she began working from her parents' robotics books and built herself a companion, Dog, capable of zapping would-be aggressors. She also began trading her considerable mechanical skills for supplies and protection. Rebecca Mangrove, captain of the Tumbleweed, gained May's confidence and the crew took her aboard.
Not long after that the crew discovered the head of Philo, a telly left in a cave outside of Scar City (actually Philo had hijacked a van but that's complicated). Philo had quit his job at the Scar City casino and had shed his body to help him escape the Casino's overbearing security. May rebuilt Philo's body for him from specs stored in his own head. It turned out Philo was seven feet tall, and given to wearing sharp suits with narrow ties.
May struggled with her loneliness. And after a while, doubts arose as to whether May had really been orphaned on Neptune at all. She believed that she was left alone in the last Calamity. But evidence mounted that she might have family still living, most notably her brother. The underground bunker had been altered to erase any sign of May's parents' identities, though the contents were left intact. May discovered notes and photographs among her books that pointed to bits and pieces of her family history.
Now, Philo and May have left the Tumbleweed for Scar City, to begin a search for May's relatives - if there are any. She remembers her brother, several years older than her, in a heavy wheelchair - how hard could he be to find? Right?
